How Valens Went Insane
by Xonel
Summary: HUMOR. Explains the many strange moments which slowly chipped away at Chloe's sanity, starting with her and Senel becoming a romantic couple. Mild language.
1. Chapter 1

Xonel: Alright, so by now I think its pretty obvious that Chloe Valens is my favorite character, not just out of Legendia, but pretty much out of anything. For right now, anyway (that position used to be held by Arya from Eragon). Well, I recently saw "Ponyo", the new Miyazaki film. It was AMAZING. Seriously, I think its my favorite Miyazaki film now. How does this relate to the story? Well, (beware of minor spoilers!!!) the mother in the movie is married to a man who works on a ship and spends a lot of time out at sea (reminds me of Senel), and I thought that she herself kinda looked like Chloe. Well, once I got that in my mind, I kept thinking that. And then we see that the mother is a crazy driver (literally, I doubt anyone's as crazy as her when it comes to the road), and she's a little nonchalant about everything. She doesn't question the fact that a fish turned into a little girl. Oh, and she's scary when she's mad. And so spawned this idea. What if those two parents really were Chloe and Senel? Heh heh... Let's see how Chloe lost her mind... (told from Chloe's perspective)

Chappy: Hop! Xonel doesn't own Tales of Legendia! Hop! Spoilers up through Chloe's character quest! Hop!

**How Valens Went Insane**

After they stopped me from killing the man who took my parents from me, I decided that I couldn't face everyone at that moment. I went off into the forest by myself to think.

It didn't surprise me when he came. Out of everyone, Senel was the one I expected to come back and talk to me. The only problem was, I wasn't ready to face him. Out of everyone, he was the one I needed to talk to the most, and he was the one I was currently the least prepared to talk to. After all, even I get a little impatient and tend to be a little downcast when all of my hinting has gone unheeded for almost a year now. Standing there in the rain certainly did not help my mood.

It struck me, suddenly, that I needed to end this ridiculous running-around-in-circles here, right now.

He let me lean on his shoulder for a bit, and with a few simple words, he changed my entire perspective on rain. I used to hate it, now I actually kind of liked it... I still do. Because of what happened next.

As we were walking back to the city, I struggled to get the words out. Finally, about halfway there, they tumbled out, suddenly and unexpectedly.

"Senel, I'm in love with you."

He continued for about three steps, then noticed I had stopped dead in my tracks. He turned and gave me a questioning look. My heart began to plummet, thinking he was entirely too weirded out by my statement and was thinking of an easy way to phrase his rejection.

"Chloe, did you say something? What's wrong?"

I blinked. Then hung my head in exasperation. Had he really not heard me? After all this, he truly didn't hear me? I growled inwardly and looked up. Yes, his expression spoke honestly, and it said he had heard only a mumble. I took a deep breath.

And let it out as a sigh. I really wasn't cut out for this. Chloe Valens was a knight. Knights don't fall head over heels for people, get nervous when they're around them, and act... What was the word Norma had used? Oh yes... Knights did not act "giddy"...

"Senel," the caress that was in my voice was purely unintentional, "I'm..." My throat seemed to close on its own.

Senel's expression softened. "Chloe, how many times do I have to say it? You don't have to worry about anything that happened back there. You did the right thing in the end, that's all that matters." He embraced me and I seemed to freeze on the spot. I couldn't seem to get my own arms to function and return the embrace, but I certainly didn't want him to pull away.

Which of course, he did. Idiot.

How could he even think that I was still worried about that?! Couldn't he tell that this struggle of mine was entirely different?!

"Senel, I love you!!"

I felt as if everything went silent. The world was watching, like my life was some kind of idiotic soap opera. I could hear the previews now: "She tried to kill him, but still loves him. Will he forgive her and return her love?" Ugh. I sound like Curtis.

Senel had such a dumbfounded expression on his face I would have laughed, if not for my current feelings of mortification. I was going to die from embarrassment. I just knew I was.

Senel's jaw worked for a second or two before words finally came out and reached my ears.

"Chloe, you...?"

Alright. I was two seconds away from smacking him, Will-style. I forced my voice to be calm, not an easy feat with so many stupid emotions running through me. "Coolidge, I-" He cut me off before I could finish.

"I never thought I would hear you say that!"

I blinked stupidly. "Huh?"

A genuine smile lit up his face. The smile that I-dare I say it?- absolutely loved because about a year ago, it seemed he never smiled like that for anyone, save Shirley. "Chloe, wasn't it obvious? Ever since Will cracked that stupid joke about us in the Bandit's Lair, I haven't been able to get the thought out of my mind. I've liked you for a while now, Chloe, and I think..." he seemed embarrassed, and refused to meet my eyes. "I think maybe what I feel is more than just liking you..."

What happened next, I can't explain. It wasn't me. It must have been the black mist taking me over again or something.

I punched him in the stomach with all my strength an took a step back as he doubled over in pain.

"Agh! You know, I tell you I return your feelings, then you go ahead and punch me even harder then when I said Harriet thought you were Will's lover?! What the heck!?!"

My eye twitched at the mention of that absurd moment in time. I forced the thought away. Senel was in enough trouble as it was.

"Despicable! Are you really telling me that all this time you just ignored all my blatant hints! Or did you really not see them?! Are you saying that I humiliated myself all those numerous times- even resorting to taking NORMA'S advice- For NOTHING?! Worthless coward!!!"

Senel stood, still wincing, and showed me an expression that was more than just a little ticked off, and utterly confused. "What are you talking about?! How come YOU never got the hint?! Did I ever act the same around ANYONE as I did around you?"

"Did you not even get what happened in the Thunder Monument?! Everyone else saw through my horrible acting! In fact, I have a sneaking suspicion that everyone has known about my feelings for you for quite some time now!"

Senel was, apparently at a loss for words. Something finally seemed to click for him, because when he met my eyes, there was realization there. "You mean that all this time...?"

Argh...! If I wasn't careful, I was going to forget that I was angry. It was just so funny that he was so unbelievably dense. Funny in hindsight, that is.

I crossed my arms and turned away from him, too stubborn to let him off the hook. "Idiot."

"Well, geez! If you've loved me for this long, why didn't you just come out and say it sooner?!"

Oh ho ho... Now THAT was reason enough for me to be angry. I spun around and faced him. "Because every time I was about to you would go all starry-eyed about Shirley! Sure, I always thought of it sort of as a competition between us, but she was still my friend! And you were obviously in love with her! Who was I to get in the way of you two?!"

"WHAT?! How many times do I have to say it before you guys get it?! Shirley is like a sister to me! She IS a sister to me!" He pointed an accusing finger at me, which I wanted to violently break off. "And now I have one question!"

"What?!"

"Are we a couple?!"

"Yes, we are!!"

Silence once again.

A few moments passed before we made our way back to the city, dawn already upon us.

This had to be the absolute weirdest way to start a relationship in history.

...xXx...

Author's Note: Hm. Well, I intended for this to be one short thing, but I think it actually wants to be its own mini series... So this is part one!

Um... If either of them were (ahem, in YOUR opinion...) OOC, my defense is that this is an alternate universe. It wouldn't really make sense anyway for them to officially become a couple at this point in the game, anyway. so... yeah...

On a side note, for anyone that's interested, at "www. riders academy .webs .com" (take out spaces and quotation marks) I'm posting up some fanfics that are chatroom-based. Me and my cousin wrote them, so check them out if you're bored. They're also on quizilla on an account called "dorkycousins".

As usual, reviews are much appreciated :)


	2. Chapter 2

Xonel: Wow. Seriously, I really didn't expect people to like this story so much. I was almost ready to take down the first chapter after reading it again, I seriously thought it sucked. So thanks for convincing me otherwise, _I lurrrvvv LEGENDIA! , dark drow, _and _Moonlight M3lody _(who has thus far reviewed all of my stories! Thanks!!), _accident prone_, and _iloveit_ !!

So I finally got some humorous inspiration today that might actually work and turn into a a full one-shot.

Speaking of which, this whole series will be a collection of one-shots (as I said before), all about various events which slowly chipped away at our favorite knight's sanity (also as I said before). The only new thing I'm saying is I'm not going to write these in chronological order.

This particular one takes place a few months after the last. Chloe and Senel's relationship is not exactly common knowledge, but all of the party members know at this point. Anyway, Will?

Will: Xonel does not claim ownership of Tales of Legendia or anything that is affiliated with Namco.

Xonel: On a side note, I'm equating 1 gald to 1 "pence". So 100 gald is 1 U.S. Dollar.

**Grace... Or lack thereof.**

Senel, Norma, and I were all sitting at one of the new cafe tables the bakery had just set up outside. The bakery had just started selling some particularly good coffee a couple of weeks ago, and Senel had decided to treat us to some.

Well, he had decided to treat _me_ to some, anyway. Norma had overheard and wouldn't leave Senel alone until he grudgingly agreed to buy her one as well. Apparently she had decided to further impose herself on us by sitting at our table after picking up her "venti-upside-down-carmel-machiatto-nonfat-triple-shot-vanilla-cappuccino-with-white-chocolate-shavings-extra-whip-cream-not-too-hot-and-please-put-a-sleeve-on-it" monstrosity. The cost for her drink alone was 950 gald, compared to 700 for mine and Senel's put together.

Understandably, Senel was a little upset at having to pay nearly a thousand gald for a single coffee. Normally I would be too. I think it was the fact that the weather was so nice that kept me from saying anything. It certainly had nothing to do with the fact that Senel and I were together. Of course not. Not with Norma sitting across from us.

No one had spoken for a while, so it wasn't a surprise when Norma sighed dramatically.

"Man, you two are so dull," she complained.

"What do you mean?" Senel asked in an annoyed voice.

"You're two young love birds and yet you act like an old married couple!"

"M-married...?" Thankfully no one could hear my brief choking fit with my coffee over Senel's loud,

"What are you talking about?!"

Norma shook her head knowledgeably. "I don't know how you put up with him, C. He's so utterly boring!"

"Hey!" Senel said indignantly. "Remember who just paid for that!" He pointed at Norma's cup.

Norma went on, ignoring him. "You two are still young! This is the time for passion! You know, love letters back and forth, cliché balcony scenes, candlelit dinners... You two haven't even kissed, have you?"

By now my face was beet red. Thankfully, so was Senel's.

"What do you care what we do?!"

"Man, I almost wish Vaclav would come back so he could kidnap you, C. Then Senny would be forced to act at least a little romantic and come and save you."

I crossed my arms and assumed as much dignity as I could with my face being its current shade of red. "I can't imagine myself being anyone's damsel in distress." I scowled slightly at the last three words.

Norma grinned her trademark sly grin. "Oh really? I remember you being just that in a certain Thunder Monument."

"A lot of good it did me at the time," I muttered.

"What are you talking about?" Senel asked.

"Oh, um... n-nothing." I still found it somewhat annoying that to this day he hadn't figured out my intent when we were there at the monument. Even after I thought I had clearly spelled it out for him. At the same time, it was such a humiliating experience that I had concluded it was for the best that he didn't even remember the event.

I decided to steer the conversation in a different direction. "Anyway, I was going to train in the Misty Mountains later today. Do you want to come, Senel?"

Norma kicked me under the table. I could almost actually hear her say something along the lines of "you're just encouraging him to keep thinking of you as a training partner!"

"Sure, I'll come," Senel replied.

"Oh!" Norma shot up out of her seat, nearly spilling her overpriced coffee. "I almost forgot, I have something I need to take care of. But before I go, Red wanted us all to meet at the new dock tomorrow. He said something about us not having enough fun since we defeated Schwartz. Anyway, have fun on your date, guys!" She put an emphasis on the word date, and before either of us could reply, she was gone.

...xXx...

I went to the dock in the late morning the next day. I didn't stay away from the ocean for any reason other than that I wanted to stay in the shade of the tree I was leaning against. I certainly wasn't afraid. Of course not.

I waited for a while until Senel showed up around noon. There was still no sign of anyone else.

I smiled slightly. "How's your shoulder?"

Senel gave me that cute embarrassed look of his.

Wait. Did I just say "cute"? Ugh! Soon there really would be no hope for me.

"It's still pretty banged up. That Eggtopus was tougher than it looked."

I suppressed a chuckle that wanted to escape in spite of myself, and instead remembered the fact that five other people were supposed to be here. "Where do you suppose the others are? Norma didn't tell us what time to be here today."

"I'm not sure. I only got up a few minutes ago and I came straight here."

"I'm surprised you were able to get up so early on your own," I said playfully.

"Hey. Before all that 'Character Quest' stuff, as Norma calls it, I wouldn't get up until two in the afternoon if I didn't have to."

I shook my head. "I just can't get why someone would sleep in so late."

Senel was quiet for a minute as he looked out across the bay. This new dock had been built in Raging Bay for smaller ships. Essentially, it was meant for the local fisherman who didn't want to sail out to far and risk the Legacy leaving them behind.

I looked out at the bay as well, and noticed that the water was just slightly more violent than usual. The Legacy was traveling a bit faster than it had in a while, so the wind must have been affecting the water in the bay. I was certainly glad we wouldn't actually be going out on a boat. At least, I hoped we wouldn't be. Again, I wasn't scared, just... _wary._

"There's Will and Jay," Senel said suddenly. I blinked, unaware that my mind had drifted, and looked behind me. Sure enough, a tall orange figure and a shorter purple figure were making their way toward us in the distance.

It wasn't long before they joined us, and just after we exchanged greetings, the other three showed up.

"So why did you want us to come here, Moses?" Senel asked.

"Me? Bubbles is the one who-" Norma nudged Sandor in the ribs, "Ah mean... Well, Ah thought we could have some fun today! We haven't exactly done anythin' together since we won against Schwartz, so I figured it was time for some family fun! Eh heh heh..."

I raised an eyebrow, suspicious of Sandor, but even more suspicious of my coniving, yellow-clad "friend".

"And how do you suppose we're going to have 'fun'?" Jay asked.

"Simple!" Norma said. "We're gonna have a fishing contest!"

I froze. Not because I was afraid. Just wary. As I said.

"You see, we're..." Norma's voice became thin in my ears. Alright, maybe I was just a little bit, possibly biased against going out on the water. In my defense, it was pretty choppy. I consider waves above five inches to be on the border of being possibly dangerous. Maybe even catastrophic. I has heard plenty of stories about tsunamis and flash floods. Water was always unpredictable.

Therefor, it was completely normal for me to interrupt Norma and ask in a slightly... _concerned_ voice, "Are you sure its a good idea to go fishing when the water's this choppy?"

There was a group silence. "I mean.... I um, haven't been feeling at my best, so I'm not sure if I should risk getting wet." It was true. I had had a slight cough for a while. Sure, it had been going away, but I didn't want to risk having it come back by getting cold.

"Aw, come on, C! It'll be fun! You've turned down all my invitations to go fishing ever since this dock was built, you _have_ to come now!" Norma pouted.

"I'm sorry, I... just haven't been feeling well."

"Norma, do you really want to have it on your conscience if you make Chloe more sick?" Raynard asked. Norma was silent, but her eyes grew big and innocent. It was the type of expression that indefinitely said she didn't care one way or another if I ended up with polio, so long as she had her fun. "Alright, well even if you don't care, I won't let you put someone's health in jeopardy like that."

"I'll stay here on the shore with C," Shirley said.

I thanked the higher powers that Shirley was such a considerate friend.

At least, I did at the time.

It wasn't long before the others all took two small fishing boats, Senel, Norma, and Will in one, Moses and Jay in the other.

"I hope you feel better, C," Shirley said.

I smiled reassuringly. "It's really not too bad, I just don't want it to get worse."

That was about all that was said for a long while. I honestly couldn't tell if the silence between us was friendly or awkward, which of course made it awkward for me at least.

I opened my mouth, resolving finally to stupidly comment on the weather, when Shirley decided to speak.

"It looks like something's happening out there..."

My eyes followed Shirley's gaze and I frowned. The two boats had come quite a ways closer to the dock by now, and one of them was violently rocking back and forth. Sandor was nowhere to be seen, and the ship that was rocking back and forth was the one that held Jay. Naturally, I figured the two of them were up to their usual antics. Sandor was probably playing a trick on the information dealer.

That was what I thought, until I saw a very large, gray fin rise out of the water, followed by a scream from Norma.

The fin moved quickly, going from Jay's boat to the other, and before I knew it, Senel was hanging onto the side of the boat with one hand, and trying to beat the creature off of him with his other.

I didn't think, I just moved.

My sword was in my hands in a flash, and I was racing toward the creature. I lifted my sword, then thrust it blade down into the ground to execute Tiger Tempest.

The only problem was, there was no ground to hold my sword.

My lungs filled with water, and panic overtook me. I really thought I was going to die. And what a pathetic death for a knight it would be.

"SENEL, HELP ME!!!"

Yeah. Kind of a stupid request, given his own predicament. I'll never forgive myself for screaming that so loudly that all of the Legacy could hear.

But in the midst of all my horrible attempts at dog paddling and wondering if it really was possible for someone to melt in the water, glorious air filled my lungs. I breathed in greedily, still more than slightly panicked because I was still in the water, and I clung onto my savior. I squeezed my eyes shut out of pure terror.

After about three endless minutes of being dragged though the water, I felt good, reliable land underneath me. Of course, I was still a bit shaken, and so refused to let go of the person who had rescued me.

And then I did something I never thought I would do. I buried my face in Senel's chest, for once not caring at all what the heck the others thought. Maybe being Senel's "damsel in distress", though I still despise those words, wasn't such a bad thing, just this once.

Once my panic subsided a bit, and the ringing in my ears stopped, I knew something was utterly, horribly wrong. For one thing, that monster must have managed to rip off Senel's shirt, because what I felt against the side of my face was not cloth. I really hoped that was the case, as embarrasing as it was because the only other explanation would be-

"Uh... Chloe? You feelin' alrigh', hun?"

My eyes flared open, and there was a moment of complete and utter shocked silence before I jumped back as far as I could, lost my balance, and landed on my back. At the same time, letting out a very distinguished, "Eep!"

Yes. Chloe Valens "eeped". Go tell your friends. See if I care.

Everyone was shocked, but it was clear that I, Sandor, and Senel were the only ones who were completely mortified. I could swear I saw a small smirk on Shirley's face. I felt an intense urge to call her many things a knight should not give voice to.

Her and Norma.

I found out the next day that my suspicions were correct. She and Norma had planned everything out, and although Norma claimed not to know anything about my difficulty with water while in full uniform (I managed to convince her that it was in fact the uniform that kept me from moving properly in the water), I have a sneaking suspicion that Shirley knew full well about my... shortcoming.

I suppose I can't blame her. I'll consider it pension for all the times I seriously considered looking for a way to quietly and discreetly remove her from the picture as far as Senel was concerned.

However, Sandor, who was also in on it, I will not forgive any time soon. Luckily, I don't think he expects me to. I won't plot any revenge, though. Him keeping Norma awake all night worried that I'll come in and stab him is punishment enough for the both of them. I'll let him sweat it out for a month or two.

No. I'm not mean. I just have a high sense of justice.

...xXx...

Xonel: Alright, so I actually just finished this a few weeks after I started it. I just got my fifth review for the first chapter, so I felt I had to give you guys some more. Hopefully this chapter was just as good, if not better! Oh, and I'm on a "Wicked" kick right now, so excuse the reference in the story. I couldn't help myself.


	3. Chapter 3

Xonel: I seriously appreciate all the reviews. Thanks guys. Unfortunately, I am very sleep deprived at the moment, so I will have to update this later to thank all my reviewers by name.

This chapter is actually the first of a two-parter. I'm not sure when exactly I'll get the next one up, but hopefully it won't take as long as this one did. Also, both of these chapters sort of tie in with the next few overall. In other words, these next few chapters aren't really one-shots.

On another note, if you're not familiar with marching bands at all, I recommend you watch a video on youtube (you can look up Mighty Oiler Band, they're pretty good) and keep the following in mind: The Honor guard is typically either at the very front or the very back of the band and can be identified as four or five people marching closely together carrying rifles, swords and flags (here in California its the state flag and the American flag. Behind them is the Color Guard; they all carry flags and do a lot of difficult and flashy twirling with said flags. The Drum Major is immediately in front of the band, usually wearing a white or otherwise distinguishable uniform, and carries either a baton or a mace. The band is next, they're the ones who play the instruments. Behind them is the Drill Team, which is similar to the Color Guard, except they don't have flags.

Too much information? Well, I'm a band geek. Sorry.

*UPDATE*: As promised, I give my thanks to _dark drow, Rave, Moonlight M3lody, Catalyna Cullen, and PlatinumMew. _I know it says so a few lines above this, but seriously guys! The reviews really mean a lot and they get me pumped up for writing the next chapter! Oh, and if you guys are wondering about _Esthrina,_ yes, that is my cousin. And now, she will make a guest appearance later on. She asked for it, muahahaha! Er, ahem. Anyway.

Jay: Xonel does not Own Tales of Legendia. If she did, I would know.

**Dressed for Success**

Tuesday:

My immediate response was to squeak out a pathetic "What?"

I mean, sure the two of us had been, well, together for about five months now, but neither of us had done anything even remotely... "couple-ey". Despite Norma's constant prodding, hardly any physical contact had passed between us at all. Just the occasional handshake. Everything between us had been as it always had been, except that we spent a little more time together and he would occasionally offer to pay when I decided to eat out. We were both content to just let things progress naturally over time. We didn't want to rush things. We didn't want to act like any other typical teenagers and be all... well... hormone-induced.

At least I didn't. And besides, I think he was just as comfortable as I was having things that way.

So although I knew it would come sooner or later, I couldn't help but be momentarily shocked when he asked me to attend an official date.

Well, he didn't say it like that. Wow, it sounds incredibly stuffy when I say it. Am I really that uncomfortable when it comes to things like this? Even after these past few months?

"Eh?"

Senel's brow was furrowed. He obviously hadn't expected the initial answer I had given. Heh... He was so cute when he looked troubled like that. Just knowing he was genuinely concerned about my answer was enough to make my heart-

…

DARN IT VALENS, GET A GRIP!

And stop being so corny.

"Er, um... S-Sorry! My mind was wandering and I, er, didn't quite hear what you said."

Senel hung his head and I immediately felt guilty for making him repeat the question when I knew full well what it was. After all, I had read plenty of modern romance novels and it was quite clear that asking a girl out on a date was high on the list of "Most Difficult Things A Guy Has To Do In Life".

...Okay, wait a second. You did NOT just hear that. Chloe Valens does NOT read romance novels. Ever.

Senel took a deep breath. "A-Are you free Saturday night? I was wondering if I could take you somewhere."

That certainly wasn't the way he had phrased it before. Gee, he almost sounded like some psycho killer or something. I quickly suppressed a snicker at the thought and glanced up at him. He was still just as nervous, judging by the color of his cheeks and the fact that he was rubbing the back of his neck.

My expression softened, and a small smile tugged at my lips. Our eyes locked, and for the first time in a while, I felt the same intense feelings that I used to before when Senel still acted completely clueless. Perhaps it was because of Norma's constant pestering that I subconsciously started to think of our relationship as more of a chore. Or maybe it was because my duties had more than tripled since we defeated Schwartz not that long ago. Ever since then, Raynard had all of us helping out with the city when we could, and being the knight that I am, I felt compelled to volunteer for much of the work that needed to be done.

Well, whatever the reason, it didn't matter at the moment. Right now, my heart was so filled with emotion that it was near to bursting, and I couldn't help where my mind was wandering... I wondered what it would be like to hug Senel, to kiss him. Would it really be as great as those romance novels and shoujo manga made it out to be?

Suddenly I noticed Senel's wide-eyed look. I also noticed that I was centimeters away from his face. I jumped back, slipped on the polished wood floor, and landed on my back. I stood back up, slowly, and quickly answered before he could comment.

"Y-Yeah, I'm free Saturday night. I would love to spend time with you."

Immediately Senel relaxed. "Oh, good. I've honestly been meaning to spend more time with you for months, but Will has me beating up monsters all the time, now." Wow. He must have been even more nervous than I thought to completely ignore my epic fail like that.

My smile returned. "I understand. I've been pretty busy as well, so its actually kind of strange that I'm not already doing something Saturday."

"Right. Well, for now I still have to take care of some monsters down by the port, so I should get going."

I watched as Senel left, closing the door to my room behind him, and my smile quickly turned into a frown. There were a number of things involved in getting ready for a date. Despite the fact that this was my first date, I was confident I knew how to handle the vast majority of what was involved. The one thing I wasn't sure of was what to wear. After all, I didn't know where Senel was going to take me, if it would be at all formal or the equivalent of walking through a park. I certainly didn't want to underdress, and the thought of wearing my usual Gadorian Knight uniform wasn't all that appealing.

I suddenly found myself in a panic.

...xXx...

I felt so completely stupid.

Sure, going to Shirley was, at this point, still out of the question. Yes, we were close friends, but asking her what I should wear while going on a date with Senel would be just like squirting a lemon gel straight into a gaping wound, minus the restorative properties. A knight would never do that to someone, let alone a friend.

Even so, I could have asked someone, ANYONE, other than who I did. Even Isabella would have been a better choice, and that's really saying something considering how scandalous her outfit is.

No. I had to panic and ask Norma, who sighed in exasperation when I voiced this complaint upon entering this shop.

"Three things. One: I'm sure I give waaay better advice. I mean, If you've got nothing better to do than follow Curtis around, that's pretty sad. Two: It's alright for women to show skin other than what's on their face and hands." I rolled my eyes at this. "And three, you really can't complain about anyone else's taste when your own outfit is the way it is. You gotta admit, it really does a great job of accentuating your... 'upper assets', and the way the belt hangs, well..."

"What do you mean? I've told you a thousand times that this is just standard issue for all female Gadorian Knights. It's not like I'm the only one who wears this."

"Well, how many female Gadorian knights do you see on the Legacy? Seriously, C, if that uniform is standard issue, the higher-ups have some issues."

I tilted my head as if to say "you got a point there". For the life of me, I loved my country, but even I had to admit it was run by a bunch of philandering old men. I had spent many a day wondering if they even let women become knights just so they could have some eye candy. Not something I would dwell on too long, lest I become overly-depressed.

"So anyway, what do you think of this?"

I groaned even before I looked. Norma had taken on a gleeful, treacherous expression as soon as I had first asked her for advice. So of course, I had been dragged immediately out of the inn and into one of the many clothing stores that seemed to be sprouting up all around the edges of Werites Beacon.

I looked and raised an eyebrow. "There is no way you're getting me to wear that... _ribbon_." Seriously. I think it was a shirt, but there was no way it would cover more than about a fifteenth of my upper body. I might as well just glue some feathers to my... Um. Let's end that thought right there.

Norma laughed. "Aw, come on! Senny would love it!"

I sighed and covered my eyes with a hand, shaking my head. I peeked at the "shirt" again, and before I knew it, I was imagining Senel's reaction to seeing me in something like that. I felt heat rush to my cheeks. Still... Perhaps he wouldn't be mortified. Perhaps he might, possibly, kind of-

"Geez, C! I was just kidding!" Norma had a genuinely surprised look on her face, as if she knew exactly where my mind was headed, and put the _thing_ back on the rack. I turned and crossed my arms.

"I-I know you were... Can we be looking seriously now? I can barely stand being in these shops as it is."

"Okay, okay..." She went back to looking through the rack. "So you have no idea what kind of place it is?"

"Not a clue. He just said he wanted to take me somewhere."

"He can't make this easy, can he? Well, I guess we'll just have to go with something semi-formal to be on the safe side."

"You mean like a pants suit?"

Norma gave me a look like I had two heads. "You're gonna have to wear a dress, C."

I groaned and hung my head. I had hated dresses as a kid and I hated them now.

Norma grabbed my hand before I could complain and dragged me out of the store. I breathed an audible sigh of relief.

"Don't be so happy just yet, C. We still haven't found a thing, and if you thought we were just gonna get a dress for you, you're sadly mistaken."

"What's with this 'we' business? _I'm_ the one who's going on a date!"

Norma continued, ignoring my comment. "We still gotta find shoes, perfume, makeup, jewelry, and of course..." By now I was already horrified. Norma grinned before continuing. "We gotta figure out what to do with you're hair."

"W-What do you mean? I'm just gonna wear my-"

"You're not wearing that beret."

"Then I'll find a different one!"

"You're not wearing _any _hat of _any_ kind, C."

At that point I wanted to fall to my knees and cry out to the heavens in despair.

"You're gonna have to leave your sword too."

That time I did. I still remember the looks people gave me.

...xXx...

Wednesday:

I really had to admit that I was surprised.

It was almost as if the very act of shopping cleared Norma of all immaturity and delight-at-other-people's-misfortune. Er... Alright, not exactly. It was obvious she was having fun tormenting me, but it wasn't as shameless as usual. One could almost say it was very business-like. For the first time since the incident with the Everlight, Norma seemed to really focus in on the task at hand.

In truth, it was kind of scary. And a tiny little voice of rationality that was somehow unaffected by the combination of Norma's behavior and the fact that I would soon be having serious one-on-one time with Senel was telling me that I should be suspicious. Unfortunately, it was a _very_ tiny voice that, for the time being , went unheeded.

But even though I wasn't as suspicious as I probably should be, I was still plenty annoyed.

"Norma, why are we looking for things that I don't even need? We managed to find a dress last night." Yeah. And I didn't end up going to sleep until two in the morning because I had a lot of work that needed to get done afterward. I was _not_ looking forward to doing that again.

Norma shook her head. "Wow, C. It really is amazing how little you know." I responded by crossing my arms and raising an eyebrow. "Alright, let me try to explain. You mentioned you used to watch Gadorian marching bands, right?"

"Y-Yes..." I said, somewhat embarrassed. Few knew that I had once wanted to actually play in Gadoria's Royal Corps. I had actually devoted a ridiculous amount of time to watching and teaching myself how to play a couple of brass instruments for that very purpose when I was young.

"Okay. Well think of it like this. In a typical parade, the main attraction is the band, right?"

"Right."

"But then you also have a drum major, who, although they do essentially lead the band and keep the tempo steady, they also do a lot of unnecessary baton twirling that's mainly just for show, right?"

"Right..."

"And then you've got the honor guard that carries the flags and a couple of swords."

"Yeah..."

"Then the Color Guard which also carries flags, only they twirl them around kinda like the drum major."

"I suppose..." I started to get the feeling that I wasn't going to like where this was going.

"And then you got the drill team in the back with all their hand clapping and what-not." I was silent. "Well, do you really think any crowd would cheer for them nearly as much if it was just the band without all that extra stuff? Not to mention they wouldn't walk away with nearly so many trophies at the end of a competition."

Dang. I was really backed into a corner here. I just couldn't think of a way to counter where Norma was going with this. I would be willing to bet gald that she had probably looked up all this information the night before just to argue against me. The sad thing was, it was actually impressive how much she knew about this topic. I hadn't mentioned any details of Gadorian marching bands to well, _anyone_.

"It's the same thing with an outfit, C. Yeah, you've got the dress. But if you really want Senny to be impressed, meaning if you want him to have that look that just says 'Whoa, I didn't know Chloe could be so drop-dead gorgeous', then you gotta go the whole nine yards."

I let out a breath through slightly clenched teeth. I hated how Norma always, ALWAYS managed to get the best of me like this. And I hated even more the fact that despite all my groaning and not-so-silent complaining, I actually was not suffering as much as I made it seem. I still hated all the accessories, shoes, perfume, and purses surrounding us. I even hated all the shops and their overly up-beat music. But if I had to be completely honest with myself, part of me was, to an extent, enjoying all of this. Why? Because darn it, I AM just as female as Shirley, Norma, and yes even Grune and it would be nice to receive a compliment on my appearance from Senel for once.

Still, despite that very small portion of me that was slightly thrilled at the prospect, something about the sheer shallowness of these shops and their contents just made my skin crawl. "Alright, fine, I get your point. But can we _please_ make this quick? I feel like I can hardly breathe in here."

"Gosh, C. I never knew you could be this whiney."

I. Do NOT. Whine.

...xXx...

Friday:

I really don't know how much more of this I can take. We spent the entire day yesterday trying to find shoes. Thankfully that didn't grate on my nerves quite so much as the two days before, but it was still thoroughly exhausting.

Today is the day of true horror. I actually had nightmares last night.

Norma will be forcing me to come with her to several shops that allow customers to sample the merchandise. What exactly does that mean?

Hours of her having fun painting my face with make-up.

I'm hoping that if I lay here in bed long enough she'll think I'm completely overworked from training, sorting out paperwork from home, and helping out Raynard. If she has any sort of heart, she'll take pity on me and leave me the heck alone.

Right. Like that'll ever happen.

A sudden pounding knock sounded on my door.

"Rmmmmmm... go away..." My voice came out muffled from laying face down on my pillow.

As I had expected, the door banged open.

"Chloe! Something's going on! Father said he needs your help, fast!"

That wasn't the person I was expecting. I shot out of bed, fully clothed from dressing before deciding to try to make Norma leave me alone. I tugged on my beret. "Where is he, Elsa?"

"He's out in front, hurry!"

I followed Elsa at a run down the stairs and out in front of the hospital.

"What the-?"

Confusion hit me for a split second, then was quickly followed by a mix of something between irritation and searing anger, and dread. I felt so betrayed.

"Thanks, Elly! She never would've come out if I had tried to wake her up."

Elsa was gone- probably feeling guilty- before I could even open my mouth, leaving me with a grinning Norma.

"That was low," I said. "How did you get her to do that?" Seriously. Elsa admired me so much that it was creepy. I never would have expected her to trick me like that.

"Oh, I have my ways. Anyway, let's get going!" Norma spun on her heel, pumping her fist in the air.

"No." I crossed my arms. I had had enough. I was sleep-deprived. I was stressed out. I was worried about tomorrow. I was even sore from the past week of constant marathon shopping. And that's really saying something considering the fact that I always spend at least two or three hours in the morning training with the Eternal Sword which is almost as long as I am tall and half as thick. If there was ever a time to stand up for myself and not let Norma have her way, that time was now. After all, this was supposed to be about me and Senel. Norma didn't have any outstanding right to control as much as she was trying to. Besides, I had initially only asked her for advice, nothing more. Instead of exhausting and stressing myself out even further, I should spend the day getting the last of the week's work done, relaxing, and praying to Nerifes, Grune, the Creator, and any other higher powers that tomorrow goes well. If Norma wanted to have fun tormenting someone, then she would just have to find someone else today.

Norma looked me in the eye. "You already know you're coming, C."

I glared and stalked past her. "Shut up."

...xXx...

After five very long minutes of having my eyes closed, I finally stopped listening to Norma and looked in the mirror.

"I look like a raccoon!"

"Well, I wouldn't have messed up if you hadn't kept squirming!" Oh, I could hear the snicker in her voice. She was definitely enjoying this.

I grabbed the bottle of remover and a tissue and started to scrub my face clean. "Alright, I can't take any more of this."

"But that was just a fluke! And that was barely the first time I tried doing anything! Just stop squirming while I'm putting it on and it won't look bad at all!"

"Norma, are you _trying_ to drive me insane?"

"Of course not, C! What would give you that idea?" There she went again with her imitation big round innocent Oresoren eyes.

I sighed. "I have a lot of work left to do before tomorrow, Norma. I don't want to be out as late as we have been these past few days."

Norma smiled and nodded. "Fair enough. We'll be done by late noon, no problem."

...xXx...

Late noon.

HA.

I collapsed face first onto my bed, fully intending to fall asleep without changing out of my uniform when I remembered a stack of papers that was waiting for me on my nightstand. I groaned, then reluctantly pushed myself off the bed and grabbed a pen.

Just one more night.

One more night until I could enjoy Senel's company.

I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Yep. I was officially a nervous wreck.

...xXx...

Xonel: Hope you enjoyed! And don't worry, you'll all get to know exactly what Chloe looks like with her full ensemble (haha, band humor) in the next chapter: THE DATE.


	4. Chapter 4

Xonel: Wh- What is this? An UPDATE? GASP!

Seriously, I'm surprised I finished it so suddenly. And hopefully the quality and quantity of the chapter will make all of you think twice about sending your ninja assassins after me.

Norma: Xonel doesn't own Tales of Legendia. If she did, there totally would have been a skit where C talks about the Force after getting her Laser Sword.

Xonel: Yes. As well as plenty of Lord of the Rings and Shakespeare references. Oh, and the Doctor would make an appearance. And KawKawMan would be a real superhero! But anyway, here's the long-awaited chapter which documents all the events of major interest which happened on The Date! Be forewarned that Chloe's insanity starts to show itself just a little bit.

**Courtship 101**

Saturday: 5:34 a.m.

As usual, I woke up with the sun, although I really didn't want to today. I had only had, what? Four hours of sleep? Add that to the fact that Norma had made this "Dating Pre-Season" and it was understandable that I was completely exhausted.

I turned over onto my other side, deciding to sleep in an hour or two for once.

Almost as soon as I did, my eyes flared open.

Today was Saturday.

I took a moment to stop hyperventilating, then ran a hand through my hair. I told myself not to panic, and decided that if anything, the fact that Senel and I would be on a date later that evening was even more of a reason for me to get some rest. I closed my eyes again.

Of course, I couldn't go back to sleep. I kept thinking more and more about that evening, imagining where in the world Senel wanted to take me. I ended up thinking and staring at the clock for about ten minutes before I got fed up and decided to leave the warmth of the soft and hospital bed.

I dressed quickly, contemplating what in the world I was going to do all day until I was scheduled to meet Senel later on in the evening. Finally I decided that perhaps I could work off some of my nervousness with my usual morning training.

8:17 a.m.

I slammed the Eternal Sword into its scabbard a little more forcefully than necessary as I glared at the clock. All training had done was give me more time to think and worry, my mind coming up with both good and very very _bad_ scenarios, ranging from a pleasant meal at one of the new restaurants that had recently opened up in the on-going, fast-paced industrializing of the Legacy, all the way to me struggling with my dress on fire while Senel futilely screamed "Demon Fist!" at some unknown breed of flaming Eringi. Oh right, those exist.

I sighed. Perhaps I should go for a jog around town. That seemed like just the sort of mindless physical activity that would let my mind wander AWAY from horrible thoughts about every possible disaster that could happen later that evening. Right? Right.

I put my hand on the doorknob to leave the hospital again- the thought of an unsuspecting Shirley crossing our path while Senel and I held hands decided to enter my mind then, sending shivers down my spine as I imagined her turning into a murdering Merines- and opened it to see a face that belonged to the very person whom I myself wouldn't mind murdering at the moment.

Alright, maybe not, but I certainly wasn't particularly thrilled to see her.

"Hey, C."

I blinked. Norma hadn't spoken a single sentence all week that didn't sound like it should end in an exclamation mark, so why was she doing it now? She even sounded _reserved_, which was odd for Norma, even under _normal_ circumstances.

She had an equally puzzling expression- one that I couldn't read. I don't claim to be particularly good at reading people, but Norma is, well... _Norma._

"What happened?" was the first thing I could think to say.

"I know this week hasn't been all that great for you so far, so... I just wanted to say I'm sorry."

I did a double take. Norma never apologized. "Either you're ill, or Raynard put you up to this."

Norma pouted. "No, I really _do_ feel bad. I mean it was fun and hilarious, but I feel guilty for tormenting you so much."

I was shocked, and thus could think of nothing to say.

"So! I've decided to make it up to you!"

Ah ha! I knew she was planning something- there was that same mischievous glint in her eye that told me that even if by some miracle she _did _feel bad about the whole week of torture she had put me through, she didn't think it was quite enough just yet. "What are you up to, Norma?"

"Oh, come on, C, it'll be fun this time! I promise! You need something to relax and get ready for tonight and I know just the thing!"

I crossed my arms. "I'm perfectly capable of getting myself to relax, Norma. N-Not that I need to," I added hurriedly.

Norma raised an eyebrow. "What were you going to do, C? Extra training?"

"What does it matter what I was-!"

"Need I point out the fact that you'll just get even more sweaty than you already are?"

I don't know why it continues to surprise me that Norma knows just how to push my buttons. She would make an excellent politician, even in Gadoria's massive web of alliances.

A scary thought, that.

8:53 a.m.

"You scheduled spa appointments for us?"

"Yep! The owner here was happy to oblige once he found out I was one of the heroes who saved the world. He's not even charging half price!"

I shook my head as I looked over the list of our scheduled "treatments", most of which were just too ridiculous to believe. "The first thing we're doing is taking a 'Hershal's Cream and Cocoa bath'?" I questioned as I read the description.

Norma looked over my shoulder. "Um, yeah, I guess. I just picked the most expensive stuff."

"_You_ picked the most expensive?"

"Discount."

"Right..." I continued to scan the list noticing that there were two more scheduled treatments in the "bath" category- one with imported water from Rexalia that would have rose petals layered on the surface, the other being- "A 'Royal Hair-Combing'?"

"Ooh! Yeah, the owner told me about that one while I was scheduling all of this. He says they use a shampoo that has this blend of special herbs and stuff thought up by some Crusandi chemo-therapist. They're all natural ingredients- expensive ones too, like champagne grapefruit oil, Rexalian cocoa butter, primrose, and white truffle."

"What? Something like that has _got_ to sell for at least six-thousand gald an ounce." I shook my head, feeling a mixture of disgust and disbelief and skipped down to the next few items. We had massages scheduled which would apparently give us a choice between various expensive sounding oils- like "Hibiscus Rose"- followed by three final appointments that filled me with a much-too-familiar-by-now sense of dread.

"We're getting facials, manicures,_ and_ pedicures? Even when I was a _noble_ I _never_ spent this much time indulging my vanity!"

"Come on, C, live a little! Just relax and enjoy all of it. By the time we're done, it'll be time for you to get ready for your date with Senny. A perfect evening after a perfect day! Think of it as a Girls' Day Out."

I raised an eyebrow. "And why isn't Shirley part of this 'Girls' Day Out'?"

"She's off doing Merines stuff. Besides, she's not the one who probably has me on a hit-list." Norma laughed nervously.

I rolled my eyes, glancing over the descriptions of the last three items. I only made it about five words in before my eyes widened. "A gold-foil facial? You've_ got_ to be kidding me! Just think of how many suffering people they could help with that gold!"

Norma gave me an exasperated look that said "can't you keep from going into noble-knight mode for five minutes?" and I shot her a disapproving look of my own. Norma threw her hands up in the air.  
"Why are you mad at _me?_ Gold is supposed to be really good for your skin!"

I sighed. "Only _you_ would believe that, Norma."

9:45 a.m.

This wasn't the right place. Certainly not. I must have managed to get myself lost after I rinsed off all that glorified chocolate milk, put on a fresh robe, and signed all those release forms that spa worker gave me (after reading through the first two paragraphs of point two font, I gave up reading and just signed all five pages, hoping it wouldn't come back to haunt me). In any case, this couldn't be the Deluxe Rexalian-water-with-rose-petals bath I was scheduled for. The "bath" was at least twenty feet long! And it looked like it got to be a dreaded four feet deep!

I spoke before I could stop myself, "This is a pool, not a bath!"

10:30 a.m.

I shot Norma a scowl, which she didn't acknowledge, when I saw her lounging in one of the molded, reclining chairs lined up in the room, her head tilted back into a sink of steaming water as two of the spa workers ran combs through her hair. She lazily opened one eye and smiled. "Hey, C, did you enjoy the-"

"No," I said a little too loudly. I immediately felt guilty when all of the spa workers shot me a worried glance. It wasn't _their_ fault I had foolishly tried to overcome my fear on my own, accidentally slipped on the wet marble floor, fallen into the steaming water and almost drowned.

Twice.

"Aw, why not? I thought it was great!"

I tried in vain to wipe the scowl from my face. "I'd rather not talk about it." One of the workers had me sit in the chair next to Norma and they immediately started on my hair. Almost instantly, I found myself relaxing, and all thoughts of giving Norma a good talking-to melted away. I sighed in defeat; I really should know by now that Norma possessed some otherworldly power that kept people from staying mad at her for too long. Or at all, for that matter. After all, Raynard was the only one who would- literally- knock sense into her, and he had been doing that less and less often of late.

Suddenly, my thoughts took a troubling turn as I realized that Shirley had the same effect on people, only with her it seemed far more powerful. Could it be that Shirley was planning on taking over the world through this type of manipulation, instead of destroying it as she had tried to do before? And if that was the case, why did Norma have this strange ability? Could it be that Shirley had taught it to her and they were allies, working together against mankind? Or could it be a behind-the-scenes power struggle between the two and Norma was actually trying to save humanity? But then why would she be manipulating _me?_ Shirley seemed to have some lingering hold over Senel, so did that mean he was her champion? Then, could I be Norma's champion? Did that mean that I would one day have to fight Senel! Or could matters be much bigger than all of this and _all_ of us were merely pawns to some even greater powers, like Grune and Nerifes!

"So, C, are you looking forward to your date with Senny?"

I forced all thoughts of a senile Grune and a wrinkled Nerifes sitting at a table in some park playing checkers out of my mind. The very thought was silly and probably was the result of having two near-death experiences involving water in the space of five minutes. That, or it was from a lack of sleep. Even so, I hesitated just a moment before answering.

"Of course I am. Did you think I _wouldn't _be looking forward to it?"

"I'm just trying to make conversation here." She paused. "So... How long do you think before he proposes?"

"What? Oh, ah, sorry," I said to the spa workers. I laid back down, feeling guilty for spraying them with water. "I think it's a little too early to be thinking about that, Norma. Or a_ lot _too early, actually."

"Oh, come on! No its not! Although I gotta say, I do feel bad for you. It's taken him _this_ long just to ask you out! Who knows how long it'll be before you two tie the knot!"

I could feel my face heating up. "N-Norma, that's not going to happen for a few more years-"

"Several, I'd say-"

"- _If_ it happens at all! These things take time, time which Coolidge and I want to take advantage of and spend wisely so that we don't- What?"

Norma was making a "tsking" noise and shaking her head, much to the annoyance of the spa workers who had just poured shampoo over her hair. "Still calling him by his last name, C? That's bad. Very very bad..."

I couldn't help but feel worry creeping in at Norma's words. "Why?"

"Would you want Senny to be calling you 'Valens' all the time? Can you imagine that?" Norma made her voice deeper, "'Oh, hey Will, I'm going to be getting dinner with "Valens" tonight, so you don't have to trouble Harriet with cooking.' 'Oh, hello, "Valens", fancy meeting you here at the bakery.' 'Curtis, I was wondering what flowers you would recommend I get for "Valens" for Valentine's Day this year.' 'Shirley, I'm sorry but I can't go with you to the Ferines Village today because I promised "Valens" that I would-'"

"Okay, okay! I get it."

"Do you, C? If you really get it, then I shouldn't hear you _ever_ calling him 'Coolidge' again."

I sighed. For once, Norma actually had a really good point. "Fine. I'll stop calling him Coolidge." It was going to be hard to get out of that habit, though.

"Good! So anyway, how many kids are you going to have?"

11:45 a.m.

After having my dignity thoroughly stepped on during the forty-five minute massage- really, how was _I_ supposed to know I would have to take my shirt off? So what if I was lying face down covered with a towel, it was still very uncomfortable- I found myself trying to sit very still, hoping that this sudden urge to sneeze would go away.

At least Norma had stopped asking me uncomfortable questions now that she had to keep her entire face still as well.

12:00 p.m.

Needless to say, the fifteen minutes spent during our facial went by far too quickly, because as soon as the thin sheet of gold was lifted from her face, Norma started firing questions back me, making the already unpleasant manicure and pedicure that much more of a test of endurance.

I let out an audible sigh of relief as we walked back toward the older, more familiar part of Werites Beacon.

"So I was thinking we'd get some lunch now, my treat."

I gave Norma a suspicious look. "Norma, what's with all the sudden generosity? Even if you find the idea of putting me in awkward positions amusing it's not like you to be willing to spend this much money."

Norma was obviously trying not to smirk. "Maybe it's because its not_ my_ money I'm spending."

I halted. "I better not get a bill from that spa sent to me. Come to think of it, they _did_ make me sign a lot of papers."

Norma spun around, Oresoren eyes at maximum power. "Why would you get a bill, C? How could you _ever_ think I would do something like that?"

I narrowed my own eyes. "Norma..."

Norma laughed, letting the innocent expression drop. "Nah. It's all Red's money, actually." She continued walking.

I followed. "Sandor? Why's he letting you spend his money?"

Norma laughed nervously. "Because... he's a good friend! Yeah! Why else would he let me borrow money? I mean do you even_ need_ a reason to ask _him_ for a favor? It's not like I'm planning something with him. Geez! Why would you even think that?"

"I _didn't_ think that. But since you mentioned it, what are you planning?" My eyes were narrowed once again. "You _know_ what those papers were, don't you?"

"It's nothing! I told you!" In a slightly calmer tone, she said, "You worry too much, C. Relax a little and focus on your time with Senny."

Unfortunately for me, that was all it took for me to quit being suspicious and continue my wondering about what was going to happen that night.

1:23 p.m.

After not-much debating, we decided to try a new diner toward the 3 o'clock end of Werites Beacon, close to Lumen Spring, which was so creatively called "Lumen's".

We walked in and were immediately led to a booth near the window by a surly waitress with a permanent scowl who reminded me a bit of Thyra. Once she practically threw the menus at us, a rare and peaceful moment of silence ensued. I figured I should enjoy it while it lasted.

"So I was thinking of getting breakfast. What about you, C?"

So much for silence. "I'm leaning toward the Chicken Caesar Salad, myself."

"Man, you really _are_ a health nut," Norma said. She paused and gave me an odd look. It almost seemed... calculating.

"W-What?"

Norma's eyes snapped back to her menu. "Nothing..." She paused. "Oh, by the way, Senny said he would meet you at the hospital around six."

I blanched. "What?"

In my mind I screamed. I only had four and a half hours to finish my mental preparation! I had assumed Senel and I wouldn't meet until at least eight! And why was Norma so calm? I knew it made no logical sense, but it honestly felt like there should be a sudden extreme earthquake, or the heavens should rain down fireballs! It was such an odd event, and I really couldn't understand why the reality of the situation was suddenly crashing down on me. I mean, I had been hoping- _longing_- for this for over a year now! It was one of those ultimate epiphany moments where it didn't matter that technically Senel and I had been "together" for a few months already. And why? Because for the entire duration of our relationship so far- and I was barely coming to this realization of self-discovery right now- it had felt _unreal._ Norma was always nagging us, making the whole thing seem like more trouble than it was worth. Senel had told me that Curtis had been acting almost exactly the same, only he insisted that the man was far more annoying than Norma, which I could actually believe when I thought about it. But worst of all was the fact that lately- meaning ever since that incident out on the small dock with Sandor- Shirley didn't seem to feel anything toward our relationship at all. She didn't seem spiteful, hateful, or even sad. In fact, she seemed even more friendly and gracious than _before_ Senel and I had shouted our feelings at eachother. It made me nervous, and now I realized that I had felt like something was going on that I couldn't see. That perhaps Shirley was planning something. I felt like being with Senel was just an illusion- one that I was bound to lose. But now... Now that our date was only a few hours away, things finally felt real.

I know it wasn't the most righteous thing to think, but I felt triumphant. I had won. And Shirley- other than the Sandor incident- seemed to be taking the loss far more graciously than I had thought might be the case. Shirley was a friend, and we _were_ close, but in that moment of epiphany a sudden surge of incredible respect for the girl took hold in my mind. From now on, I would be sure to remember to force Norma into including Shirley in all of our "excursions". Especially if she planned on tormenting me like she had this past week- Shirley could be firm when she wanted to be and she might be able to make Norma back off.

"Um you might want to start eating, C."

I blinked. "Oh, right." I hadn't even noticed when our order had been taken, let alone when the food had come. I stabbed some lettuce with my fork and began chewing. With my epiphany came a sort of... electric feeling. I wasn't sure if I was nervous or excited.

"Yeah, so we'd better hurry up a little. You're gonna want time to get ready."

"Time to get ready? I only need about fifteen minutes, Norma. At the most."

Norma rolled her eyes, letting out an exasperated sigh. "C, C, C... You really don't understand these things, do you? But that's alright, that's why you've got me!" I raised an eyebrow. Norma didn't seem to notice. "Getting ready for a delicate situation such as this requires time and careful planning."

"Planning? What's there to plan? Thanks to you, I already have a full ensemble for tonight."

Norma grinned. "Yeah, but you're forgetting one thing."

It immediately clicked. "Wait a minute, you don't mean-"

"One very important and key thing to this operation."

Dang, I really thought she had forgotten. "Norma, you've got to be kidding."

"Oh, I don't kid in these situations. Well, not much."

"Norma..."

"We still haven't figured out what you're doing with your hair. But for now, hurry up and eat so we can get out of here!"

5:59 p.m.

Normally, I would be upset, but right now I was just glad that the torment was over. Even so, I couldn't help but say, "You spent almost two hours messing with my hair... just to decide on _this?_ This was the first thing you tried!"

Norma laughed. "Just in time, too. Senny will be here any minute, now."

As if on cue, we heard the door open downstairs and someone walk in. I think Norma saw the suddenly terrified expression on my face, because she actually smiled reassuringly.

"You'll be fine, C. Just relax."

I couldn't even force myself to reply because I heard Senel's voice asking something- probably if I was in my room.

Norma hugged me, then opened the door to leave. "Well, gotta go! Be sure to tell me all the juicy detai-"

"Norma," I said faintly. "He's going to see me."

"Um... That's kinda the point, C."

"I know, but..."

Norma frowned slightly. "What're you so nervous about? It's just Senny." Her smile returned before I could even think up a response to that. "You'll have a great time. You'll have_ fun _for once instead of hiding here in your cave all day doing paperwork or looking over reports." She started to close the door behind her. "Just remember, you're not allowed to take any swords with you."

And with that, the door clicked closed. I blinked for a second, confused at her sudden change of topic, then shook my head slightly. I lifted my pillow, revealing the single item that I needed, and stuffed it into the four thousand gald purse Norma had forced me to buy. I took a second more to calm my nerves, then walked out the door.

I closed said door behind me and started down the stairs. I saw Senel leaning against the far wall next to the door, looking off to the side. I was thankful to see that he wasn't wearing his Alliance Marine uniform- I had been thinking all week of how ridiculous I would feel if I was the only one wearing something different. However there was another problem: Senel was wearing a grey leather jacket, a teal t-shirt, grey pants, his usual shoes, and his bracers. A pack rested on the floor next to his feet.

He was dressed far less formally than I was, and the pack... well, I didn't want to dwell on what that could mean. Needless to say, I was dangerously close to wanting to strangle Norma for putting me through this entire week for what now appeared to be no good reason.

Thankfully, Senel decided to look up at me at that moment and _give_ me a good reason: his expression.

Having been forced to attend many formal social events when I was younger, and having basically unlimited funding and the best seamstresses at my, or rather my parents', disposal, I didn't think too much of my outfit. I wore forest green slippers that had a shorter heel than my usual boots, fastened by simple gold buckles on the sides. My dress, too, was fairly simple, although if it hadn't been for Norma I'm certain I wouldn't have chosen it myself. Also forest green, the satin dress was sleeveless- leaving my arms bare- with a v-neck that was cut low enough that I really didn't want to think about it (Norma of course had rolled her eyes and said something about how she couldn't take my complaints seriously when I thought shaking hands was something normal couples would do and again pointed out how revealing my uniform was, to which I decided to shut my mouth). The skirt flowed down nicely, ending in a very slight flare at my ankles. Around my neck was a simple golden necklace given to me by my mother; a thin chain weighed down by a small pendant that surprisingly remained hidden beneath the neck of my dress. On my left wrist was a simple gold watch, this one left to me by my grandmother on my father's side. On my left shoulder was my near-empty leather purse, dyed to the same shade of green as the rest of my outfit. My make-up- thank the Creator- was also simple. Norma had been content to stop after applying a lighter green eyeshadow and a more natural shade of the five fancy lip balms she forced me to buy. My hair was left straight, the only change being that my beret was replaced with a single long gold barrette that kept my hair from falling in my face, as it usually did.

Overall, everything I wore was simple. Elegant, perhaps, but certainly not more impressive than what I had been forced to wear when I was a kid. Even so, it must have been a shock for Senel to see me wearing something like this. Needless to say, the look on his face was _very_ satisfying.

He tried to clear his throat, his eyes still wide. "Chloe, you..."

I couldn't help but smile. "I what?" I asked.

"I mean... heh." He coughed into his fist. "You look great. Let's go." I could feel my face turning red at the obviously sincere, and therefore awkwardly given, compliment as he turned and opened the door for me, picking up his pack in the process.

6:37 p.m.

We took the duct to Maurits' Hermitage, but Senel led me slightly away from the old base, through the trees. He seemed more and more eager the further we went in the trees. Eventually, my curiosity won out.

"Where are we going?"

Senel smiled. "You'll see. I think you'll like it."

I continued to follow him, choosing to remain quiet until we got to wherever it was we were going. Eventually we came up to a cave that gave off a faint bluish glow from inside.

"A ruin?" I asked. "I don't remember seeing one here."

Senel nodded. "It was pretty well-hidden. Will asked me to help him exterminate some monsters in the area and we came across it. We decided to explore inside and, well... It's pretty impressive."

"I see." I had never really been one for ruins, but I would just have to trust that Senel was right and I would be impressed. This was the closest to being outright excited as I had ever seen him, so that alone must mean that whatever he was going to show me was worth the trek over here.

After about a minute of walking, Senel decided to speak. "So how has your week been?"

I couldn't stop myself from letting out a humorless laugh, to which Senel gave me a slightly concerned expression. "It wasn't too bad," I reassured him. "Norma was just getting on my nerves."

Senel nodded. "Yeah, I can imagine. The Bouncers have been giving me a hard time too, as I've told you."

I raised an eyebrow. "Both of them, now?"

Senel nodded. "Isabella's not as pushy, but she's started in on it too."

I chuckled. Senel joined in and I felt myself starting to relax. Maybe Norma was right for once. Maybe there really was nothing to worry about just because we were on a date. We were still the same people, after all.

"So I take it your week hasn't been the best either?" I asked.

"Not really," Senel said lightly. "But of course its already picked up today, so I can't complain too much."

I felt my cheeks burning again. Did he not even notice that compliment he just gave? Apparently not, which I liked for some reason. "Yeah, same here," I agreed.

We walked on a bit further, eventually coming to a door that resembled the automatic doors found on the bridge of the Legacy.

"Alright, close your eyes and take my hand," he said softly, holding out said hand.

Thankfully, my brain froze for only a second at the thought of actually holding Senel's hand. I did as instructed and he led me through the door. I heard it swish softly closed behind us.

And then I noticed it. I don't know why I hadn't noticed it before- perhaps it was because I was enjoying the time with Senel. But now I heard it: the unmistakable sound of thousands of tons of water moving.

"Senel..?" I said, with just a... _ slight_ tremor in my voice. I wasn't scared, of course. Just caught off guard.

"Don't worry. Just open your eyes."

Hesitantly, I did as he said.

I have to admit that this was one time I sincerely wished that water wasn't my natural enemy. I couldn't even begin to describe what I saw in front of me. Words wouldn't do it justice.

The door we had walked through led into an enormous circular cavern made entirely of crystal. It looked like the Crystal Forest, except it was of a darker shade of blue. Several cliffs lined the walls, forming ring-shaped ledges around the entire cavern. The crystal formed natural staircases at various points around the room, leading up to the topmost ledge. Several waterfalls lined the walls of the cavern, forming streams that met together in the center of the cavern. Giant boulder-sized chunks of crystal rose up out of the floor all around the room, pulsing with a soft glow.

"What is this..?" I asked in awe. The cavern must have been the size of the entire city of Werites Beacon, if not larger.

Senel shrugged and shook his head slowly. "We don't know. It looks like it might have been part of the base of the Legacy, but we have no idea what it's for. Will said he wanted to come back and check it out more thoroughly later, but I figured it would be fine to bring you down here."

"Senel, this is incredible..."

That was all I could possibly think to say. I had no idea something this big was hidden away within the Legacy. And then I almost immediately felt stupid for thinking so because no one had suspected that the Quiet Lands had been hidden away all these years, so why not a giant crystal-waterfall cavern?

I was so awestruck by the cave that it took me several moments to notice Senel was looking at me. I blinked. "W-What..?"

Senel shook his head and looked away. "I didn't say anything. Anyway, I thought we could just, you know, spend time here and talk."

I suddenly found myself wishing I had come up with some cue cards. "Alright."

Senel smiled. "Great." He led me up one of the staircases and we settled on one of the lower ledges, not high enough to tire either of us with the climb, but high enough so that we could look out over the whole cavern, sitting with our backs against the wall behind us.

We sat in silence for a moment, and oddly enough, I found the dull roar of the waterfalls easing away my nervousness. It was official; Norma was right. I was going to enjoy spending time with Senel, and it wouldn't be awkward or weird at all.

Now if only I could figure out how to comfortably sit on the floor in a dress.

"So how are things going with Gadoria?"

I coughed and had to quickly turn my face away from Senel. I knew he was talking about the restoration of my House, but there was something else related to Gadoria that I had been pushing away from my mind for... kind of a while now. "Well enough," I managed. "You know how bureaucracies are. I'm sure its going to be at least a year before any real progress is made on restoring my House."

"That's weird. I would think they would be doing everything possible to get on your good side, now that you've saved the world and everyone knows what a powerful eren you are."

I felt my face heat up and coughed slightly. "Well, there are plenty of people who have taken an... interest of sorts in me."

"They should!" Senel sounded upset. "They should be begging you to come back to the nobility! Without you, the world wouldn't even exist right now!"

"I'm not sure you would really like the kind of interest I'm getting."

Senel didn't seem to hear me. "I mean seriously! You guys are always talking about how slow I can be- don't think I haven't noticed- and even_ I_ can appreciate how lucky I am to have you!" Senel's face took on an endearing red tone as he realized what he just said. I'm sure my eyes were as wide as I thought, because he looked away, embarrassed, and this time it was his turn to cough into his hand.

He glanced at me when I didn't say anything. I couldn't think of anything_ to _say. Suddenly, my nervousness returned in full force, and I gulped, glancing down at the ground.

I ventured to look at Senel again, and was caught off guard to see him staring at me intently.

"I really do mean that, Chloe. I'm lucky to have you."

My throat caught. All I could do was blink and meet his gaze. Our eyes locked, and a vague thought about the utter cheesiness of the situation (I mean seriously, this was straight out of _To Love a Pirate_, when Claudio and Odette were stranded on that island during the hurricane and had to seek shelter in a cave. Not that I've read the book at all.)

Senel leaned forward slightly, and my heart started to pound in my chest. I was in dangerous territory now. Things always started like this. Going beyond a handshake was bound to get us in trouble. That's how things always worked, wasn't it?

Still, I couldn't help but be excited. Sure I was nervous, terrified even. I mean, I thought I was lucky just to have held his hand, but the way things were going, we might actually hug! Despite my nerves, I found myself following Senel, leaning forward slightly. I struggled with myself, hearing Norma's voice in my head saying that it was about time our relationship picked up and stopped moving at glacial speeds. At the same time, the rational side of my brain, the part of my mind that wasn't infected with what I would from then on call "Gnorma-germs", was screaming at me that "You may be a knight, Valens, but you're in a cave alone with Senel! If you're not careful, this won't just be a hug, but a kiss!" Creator forbid!

Mustering my strength, I started to open my mouth to break the tension and say something-anything- that would stop this dangerous turn of events. Senel spoke first.

"You look really nice with your hair like that," he said barely above a whisper.

Strangely, that comment _did_ manage to break some of the tension. I could feel my cheeks redden slightly, but for once I didn't care. I chuckled,"Heh. I guess I'll have to thank Norma for something after all."

Senel joined in, chuckling, and soon our chuckles evolved into full-blown laughter, restoring the atmosphere to a comfortable level.

"Thank you for bringing me here, Senel," I said, once our laughs subsided.

Senel smiled. "Don't even mention it. I'm glad we got to spend time together today." Abruptly, his expression became more serious. "Chloe."

I blinked, sensing danger again. "W-What?"

"I wanted to ask you something while we're down here."

My heart started to pound again. "What is it?"

"Well, the water in the center of this room is pretty still, and fairly shallow..." He paused, looking down below, where all the streams of water met in the center of the cavern. He looked me in the eye. "I know it bothers you that you can't swim, so I was wondering if you would let me teach you how."

My eyebrows flew up, and I'm fairly certain I looked like a startled Lizardman.

"Don't worry, I don't mean today. I just thought, well... I never did really repay you for helping me back in the Quiet Lands all those months ago... Like I said earlier, if it wasn't for you, I don't think the world would even be around right now."

A distant part of my brain registered the huge compliment he just gave, but all I could actually say was, "Swim?"

Senel frowned. "Well, yeah. I mean, you don't have to right away. I just thought maybe you'd want to learn so you can stop beating yourself up about it."

I nodded numbly as another thought entered my mind. If I allowed Senel to teach me how to swim, that would mean both of us in very little clothing, in very close proximity. As much as the idiotic romantic in me liked the idea, the Gnorma-germs hadn't infected me enough to keep me from thinking that the earlier threat of a hug didn't seem so bad now.

How could either of us resist kissing in a situation like _that?_

"Senel, I'm not sure if..."

"Don't worry. If you want, I can ask Shirley to help too. She and Stella taught me to swim, and she_ is_ Ferines after all. If _I_ can't keep you from sinking, I'm sure she can."

I felt a brief flash of prideful annoyance at Senel's slight smirk, but let it slide off me. I couldn't really deny my lack of buoyancy, especially after the Waterways, without lying through my teeth. "You're not going to let me get out of this, are you?"

"Nope."

I shook my head. Senel was being stubborn, and he was worse than me when it came to bullheadedness. Well, it couldn't be_ too_ bad. With Shirley there, neither of us would be tempted to even shake hands. Of course, I tried not to think about the possibility that my earlier revelation about Shirley was wrong and she was still out to get me. Hopefully she wouldn't decide to send Senel away to get something while I sank into a watery grave... No, she wouldn't do that. After all, she's not the Merines any more, not really. I hope.

I sighed. "Fine. Although I'm probably gonna regret saying that."

Senel smiled again. "No you won't. Trust me, you'll feel a lot better once you know how to keep your head _above_ the water."

I gave him a half-mocking glare. Not able to think of anything original, I gave my now-cliched, "Despicable," before turning to look back down at the cavern below.

A comfortable silence passed between us, as we both looked out at the softly-glowing caver, listening to the rumble of the waterfalls. Senel opened the pack he had brought, taking out two Mabo Curry Pies, and passing one to me. I smiled in thanks and took a bite, only now realizing that a few hours had passed since my lunch with Norma, and I was actually pretty hungry.

After I managed a few bites, Senel abruptly said, "You should talk to Will and Madame Musette."

I swallowed, then raised an eyebrow. "About what?"

"Your House. I would think Madame Musette at least might be able to help you out. She could send some influence your way and convince Gadoria that you really are the hero people say you are. They'll have to accept you back into the nobility then."

At the mention of Gadoria, I remembered all the letters I had been receiving and trying to forget. "Senel, it's really not a huge deal..."

"Sure it is. Besides, it should be easier now. You yourself said that you're getting attention."

I cleared my throat uncomfortably. "Not the sort of attention you think..."

"What do you mean? Don't tell me things are _worse_ now?"

I shook my head. "Not in the way you think..."

"Then what do you mean?"

I sighed. "I have suitors, Senel." I looked away.

Senel remained silent, and I took his silence for shock. "Don't worry, all of the letters I've received so far are from typical nobleman I can't stand. But... well, there are quite a few that have sent them to me. I'm sorry, Senel, I meant to tell you about this, but it just felt so awkward, and we've both been busy anyway, so..." I looked back at him and saw that his silence wasn't the result of shock, but barely contained humor. "What?" I asked a little sharply.

Senel couldn't contain himself any more and exploded into laughter. "You thought that would upset me? Chloe, you can't help how other people act. Besides, I think its pretty ironic that they're all after you now. I think I'm finally understanding just how shallow a typical Gadorian noble really is."

I raised an eyebrow, but couldn't help smiling myself. "Yeah, it's pretty bad. In all honesty, I'm glad I'm away from it all."

Senel stopped laughing and his eyes softened. "Me too, Chloe. I'm glad you came to the Legacy."

9:13 p.m.

Somehow, conversation with Senel never got slow or boring, despite my earlier fears that I would run out of things to say. Even more chocking was the fact that I slipped into calling him "Senel" instead of "Coolidge" so easily. Time went by quickly, and after a couple of hours, we decided that we should probably start heading back out toward Werites Beacon.

We left the main cavern and started back through the ruins, still talking along the way. I had just remembered this great joke about a squash, a Peepit, and some gunpowder and was about to open my mouth to tell it when we heard the strangest roar/screech I have ever heard. The roar/screech was followed by a startled yelp.

Both of us wheeled around and gaped at the monster before us.

The thing was ghostly and ethereal, it's very skin (or lack thereof) torn in places, exposing bones, muscles, and sinew. It stood about ten feet tall, with a wide girth of at least three or four feet. It was covered in mangy fur, the color of which was impossible to determine since the whole thing took on an eerie bluish-white color. It's eyes glowed an angry red.

The thing was not human, though it's form was vaguely familiar.

"It's an..." Senel paused, gulping, "an Oresoren?"

The creature let out another cry, so loud this time that both Senel and I had to cover our ears.

When the thing stopped, Senel shook his head to clear it a ran forward, fist pulled back for a punch. Amazingly, it landed.

I took out the object I had stowed away in my purse, and it hummed to life. Norma had, fortunately, forgotten that I had kept the Laser Sword, thinking that it might come in handy to keep a weapon that was easily concealed.

I circled around and attacked the monster from the side with Tiger Blade. The thing let out a growl when it realized that Senel and I were willing to fight it. It started to shake from side to side, waving its short arms in the air, forcing Senel and me to fall back away from it. Senel rushed back with Phantom Dragon Dance and I followed with Phantom Blade.

The battle turned into a blur, as it often does. Both of us let our fighting instinct take over, guiding us through the motions. When I think about it, it's almost like a Force that's guiding us. Perhaps its some unknown side-effect of eres.

We both jumped out of the way when the thing let out a defeated howl and fell forward. Before it hit the ground, it vaporized into nothingness.

"Well that was weird," Senel said, catching his breath.

I nodded. "Indeed. And we can't even show it to Raynard, now."

"Yeah, he's going to be disappointed about that."

I looked at Senel, raising an eyebrow, and we both started to laugh at just _how_ disappointed the scholar would be.

My laughs ended abruptly when I remembered something. "Senel, did you hear that noise earlier?"

"Uh... You mean the thing's roar?"

I shook my head. "No, I heard something that sounded _human_. Raynard is the only other person who knows about this place, right?"

"Yeah, as far as I-"

Senel was cut off by another, louder yell similar to the one I had heard before the battle. The yell grew louder, and it was only a matter of seconds before we heard the sound of pounding feet on stone.

Senel and I exchanged a glance, slipping back into fighting postures. Before either of us could so much as lift our weapons, a figure dressed all in black with bright red hair whizzed by us, racing toward the exit. We spun around, watching the figure leave.

"Hey, isn't that-?"

Senel was cut off again by another roar/screech. We both turned back around, dreading the inevitable.

A wall of Oresoren-monsters was racing toward us, running on all-fours, looking like some herd of rabid otter-zombies.

Both of us let out rather undignified screams like the true warriors we are and ran, following the path of the black-garbed figure.

We ran the full distance of the ruin, fear pushing us past our usual limits. The only thoughts bouncing around in my mind were those of survival, and of the utter unfairness of zombies that could actually give chase beyond a slow crawl.

We came back around the last bend in the path after what felt like hours of running and finally saw the exit up ahead. One of the things let out another roar that sounded especially close to our ears and we both shrieked, putting on an extra burst of speed.

Seconds later we were out of the ruin, the light of the full moon giving the trees around us an eerie glow. We turned around, panting heavily, only to find that our pursuers had vanished.

I collapsed against a tree, feeling relief to a degree that I had never known. Senel let out a sigh and I knew he must feel the same.

I took a minute to steady my breath, fatigue quickly catching up with me now that my life wasn't in danger, then glanced at Senel. "Well, that was certainly... unexpected."

"I know. Some date, huh?" I stood up straight again. Senel shook his head. "We should probably head back before we're attacked by sparkling vampire goats, or something."

I nodded and we started walking.

9:44 p.m.

When we stepped off of the duct's platform, my eyes immediately landed on a small cafe that had been built between the city and Port on Rage. For some reason, the faint muffled laughter, the warm yellow lights, and a good cup of coffee seemed especially welcoming right now. I had vaguely been wanting to check out this cafe/diner for a while, but never had the time. Besides, I still needed something to calm my nerves.

Senel caught my gaze and nodded. I smiled thankfully and let him take the lead as we walked toward the small building.

He opened the door and we were hit with the sound of hysterical laughter. I raised my eyebrows as I walked in, taking in the small tables and the stage at the back. A man wearing a ridiculous costume of Elizabethan-era noble Rexalian clothing was standing in front of the mike, waiting for the laughter to subside.

Senel walked in behind me and a man behind the counter to our left nodded toward a table for us to sit at.

The laughter quieted. "So I went home, right, soaked to the bone and covered in splattered tomatoes, and you know what my mom says? They all say the same thing. She says 'Now what did you learn, Bill?'" Laughter erupted again at the man's high-pitched imitation of a mother's voice. "What did I learn? I'll tell you what I learned, Ma! Fans are _vicious_ when you keep them waiting! I mean, seriously, did they have to throw that _hammer_?" He waited again for the laughter to die down. This time, I found myself chuckling as well. "Yeah, so the moral of the story is never produce your own plays, folks. I'll see you all next time."

What happened next brought all my old suspicions back in an instant.

Norma stepped on stage and shook hands with the man, then grinned and stepped up to the mike. "I hope all of you guys are looking forward to more of Bill Shockspeare's work in the future! You'll be seeing posters about his official debut as a playwright very soon! I hope you all can make it!"

A young waiter came to our table, distracting me from hearing the rest of what Norma was saying. "Hey, what can I get you guys?" he asked with a smile.

"I'll take whichever your darker roast is," I replied.

"The same for me," Senel added.

The waiter nodded. "Alright. That's two of our "Earth Dragon Blend". Can I get you guys anything else? A blueberry muffin, or a piece of chocolate mouse cake, maybe?"

I looked toward Senel and shrugged.

He nodded. "We'll try the cake, I guess."

"Got it. I'll be right back."

Unfortunately, by the end of the exchange Norma had already left the stage and disappeared. Even more unfortunate, I now knew that my suspicions which had slowly been building up this past week were well-founded. Norma was planning something, and it would undoubtedly involve me being miserable.

Apparently, that Bill Shockspeare guy was the main attraction for the night, because nearly everyone left right after we ordered, leaving only a couple of groups of people who were all sitting at the far corners of the room.

When it came, we drank our coffee and ate our shared piece of cake mostly in silence, only speaking enough to agree that the coffee was alright, but not as good as Stardoe's, and the cake was excellent to the point of rivaling the famed Flan-Cake.

We stood up again, Senel paid, and we found ourselves walking back out into the moonlit night.

"Wait," Senel said softly.

I turned around and gave him a questioning look. Wordlessly, he led me to the open area behind the diner, stopped, and sighed, staring up at the moon. He stayed like that for a moment before he met my eyes. "Chloe, I'm sorry. This wasn't exactly how I had imagined our first date would go."

"Why are you apologizing, Senel? There was no way you could have known about those... things."

Senel obviously noticed the tremor in my voice, because he frowned. "You shouldn't have had to be scared like that on our first date."

I raised an eyebrow, feeling a brief flash of annoyance. "I recall _you_ being pretty scared, too."

Senel's cheeks flushed red and he rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, well, I get scared sometimes." Then, he added almost too soft for me to hear, "Like in the Waterways."

I felt a small pang at the memory, and what he must be talking about. Suddenly, my sense of our relationship only being an illusion threatened to return. "Yeah, me too. Shirley was in a lot of trouble, then."

Senel gave me a look. "You know, for all your and everyone else's talk about me being dense, you have your moments, too."

I raised an eyebrow, and decided to let him explain before I retaliated.

"I wasn't talking about Shirley," he said. "I was talking about _you_ nearly drowning."

I saw something in his eyes, then. I can't explain it, but I suddenly knew that when I had been pulled under the water all those months ago, terrified that I was about to die, Senel had been just as scared as I was. Maybe at the time he had been afraid to see someone- anyone- die right in front of him. Maybe he had been afraid that one of his friends, even if we hadn't been on good terms at the time, was about to die right in front of him. But somehow, that fear had turned into something else since then. It had changed from a simple fear for another person, or even a friend, into a fear for _me._ A fear for Chloe Valens. A fear for his _best_ friend. And now it was possibly a fear for someone _more_ than simply his best friend.

And I knew that that was the real reason why he wanted to teach me how to swim. He had covered up that reason earlier by poking fun at me, but now I understood that he was more _worried_ than anything else.

"I don't like it when you're scared, Chloe. Especially when you're scared for a good reason. I don't know how to react to it. I..." He took a step toward me and lightly held my hands. "I like you because you're so strong and confident," he said softly.

Before I could even remember that I usually felt weird when Senel said I was strong, the world around us vanished. It took a very long two seconds for me to realize what was going on.

Senel was kissing me.

My eyes closed automatically. It wasn't "electric" or "fiery" at all, as I had come to think it would be. Rather, it was very simple, his lips against mine, and it filled me with a quiet contentment. Warmth spread through me, but it was a peaceful warmth. It was comfortable, and somehow I knew that this was right. My heart seemed to swell, not with the feelings of inexperienced passion bordering on lust that I had felt before, when Senel was unattainable. Rather, it swelled with a kind of love that was entirely new to me. It swelled with a simple wish, that Senel's very soul would know peace and happiness.

And in that moment, I felt childish for shying away from the thought of physical contact. I had convinced myself that I was being "pure" and "knightly", but that wasn't the truth at all. I was _afraid_ of kissing, and even hugging, for some reason. For the longest time, I had tried to keep all contact between us devoid of any sort of affection. At this point, I didn't know _why_ I had been so afraid of physical contact, but I did know that that fear was vastly unnecessary.

Senel pulled away after only a moment. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I just didn't know how to say what I was trying to say, and-"

"Senel." My arms wrapped around him, hesitating only briefly, and I was happy to find him returning the embrace. "That's how."

"How what?" he asked softly.

"How you should react to my fear. When I'm afraid, I just need you to be you. You remind me that I don't need to be afraid. You remind me that there are other forces watching over us, and I'm not going to die until I'm meant to."

Senel met my eyes and let out a brief chuckle. "Well, that's a slightly morbid way of putting it."

I smiled. "But it's true."

We stood like that a moment longer, then Senel coughed slightly. "Well, we should probably get back."

"Yeah. We'll need some sleep to prepare for the onslaught of questions. I just hope Norma isn't waiting for me at the hospital. If she is, _I _have a few questions for_ her_."

"What do you mean?"

My eyes narrowed. "She's planning something. I don't know what, but I know I won't like it."

"Maybe we can talk Will into stopping her."

"I don't know. Norma can be pretty crafty when she wants to be."

"True." We both sighed.

"Well," Senel offered me his arm, "shall we go?"

I gave a mock gasp. "I didn't know you could act like a gentleman!"

"Yeah, I think that Shockspeare guy got to me with his costume."

We both chuckled, but I took Senel's arm and we both walked back to Werites Beacon.

As it turns out, Norma was right about one thing. I hadn't had anything to be afraid of.

Well, aside from ghostly Oresoren zombies.

...xXx...

Xonel: Yeah, you read it right. It's Shockspeare and not Shakespeare. And yes, his "stand-up" routine about being attacked by fans with tomatoes was my guilt leaking through. Verily, I tellest thee that I most humbly beg thy pardon for mine ill-paced updating. 'Tis a vice that I must struggle with, like a mouse struggling to eat his cheese while his head is crushed by the bar of the trap.

Anyway. I really hope this lived up to everyone's expectations. As you can imagine, I worked really hard on it, and it really was giving me trouble in some spots. I wanted to give you guys an extra long chapter after such an extra long wait.

So! Look forward to more, because even though she's started to show signs, Chloe still hasn't actually gone insane! You'll see more of 'ol Bill Shockespeare, and the Oresoren ghost zombies. I know this chapter was more romance than humor (not too much more, I hope), but we'll be back to pure comedy by next chapter. Well, at least in the Shakespearean sense of comedy, which basically means that it will be "happy" instead of "sad". Hey, so this chapter _was_ a comedy!

I can't force you, but if you feel the slightest bit inclined, please take a minute to review this chapter. All of your opinions matter to me, so at least tell me whether I just wrote something horrid or not. :)


End file.
